Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the pancetta on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper and bake until crisp. Remove and set aside at room temperature to allow them to crisp up.

Heat a knob of butter in a pan and wilt down the spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess liquid and keep warm.

Heat two frying pans and add a little vegetable oil to both. Season the scallops and add to one of the heated frying pans. Fry the scallops until golden, then turn over and add in the lemon juice and rest of the butter. Baste with the frothing butter for 20 seconds and remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Meanwhile, add the black pudding to the other heated frying pan. Cook until crisp and then turn over and allow to crisp on the other side. Again drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

To serve, arrange the wilted spinach on warmed plates with the black pudding and scallops on top. Garnish with the pieces of crispy pancetta.

Method:

Season the beef fillet with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add a little of the oil and then add the beef. Pan fry until golden all over, then remove from the heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Once the beef fillet has rested, brush with half the vinegar and roll in sesame seeds. Leave to cool down to room temperature and then thinly slice.

Mix the remaining balsamic vinegar with rest of the olive oil.

To serve, divide the thinly sliced beef among plates and scatter over the Parmesan shavings. Top each one with a small pile of the rocket and drizzle around a generous amount of balsamic oil.

Ingredients:

250g beef fillet, well trimmed

100ml extra-virgin olive oil

100ml Villa Manodori balsamic vinegar

4 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

40g wild rocket

70g aged Parmesan shavings

Main: Monkfish tail with seafood bisque

Method:

Heat half of the butter in a large pan and stir in the vegetables. Add the lobster or prawn shells and bouquet garni, then cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are softened.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, then increase the heat and pour in the Cognac to reduce right down. Add the tomato puree, wine and stock. Bring to a simmer, then cook gently for 30 minutes until slightly reduced. Season to taste. Pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan and simmer until reduced to a sauce consistency. Whisk in the rest of the butter before using.

Preheat the oven to 220C. For the celeriac, toss the celeriac cubes in the oil and season with salt and pepper, then roast for 20-25 minutes until cooked through and golden.

Heat a frying pan over a medium to high heat. Season the monkfish tails. Add a knob of the butter and then sauté the monkfish tails for 1 minute on each side until golden – you may have to do this in batches depending on the side of your pan. Transfer to a roasting tin and roast for 10 minutes, then leave to rest in a warm place for 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the prawns. Wipe out the frying pan and add the sauté the prawns in a little oil and the butter for 2-3 minutes until tender, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Spoon some of the seafood bisque into each warmed wide-rimmed bowl and place a piece of rested monkfish on each one. Arrange the sautéed prawns on top and place the pieces of celeriac in the bisque. Garnish with the micro dill, if liked.

Ingredients:

For the bisque:

50g unsalted butter, chilled and diced

1 small onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stick, diced

1/2 small fennel bulb, diced (fronds reserved for garnish)

350g cooked lobster or Dublin Bay prawns shells, roughly chopped

1 fresh bouquet garni

4 ripe tomatoes, quartered

4 tbsp Cognac

2 tsp tomato puree

150ml dry white wine

300ml fish stock

For the celeriac:

1 small celeriac, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes

2 tbsp olive oil

For the monkfish:

4 x 225g monkfish tails on the bone, well trimmed

40g salted butter, chilled and diced

For the prawns:

8 large peeled Dublin Bay prawns

1 tsp sunflower oil

10g unsalted butter, chilled and diced

fresh miro dill herb, to garnish (optional)

Main: Tarragon Chicken with wild mushroom risotto

Method:

Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Leave to soak for 20 minutes, then drain, reserving the liquid. Finely chop the mushrooms.

Preheat the oven to 180C. For the tarragon chicken, roughly chop the tarragon leaves and fold into the butter, then season with salt and pepper. Gently lift the skin from each chicken breast and smear all over the flesh, then carefully place the skin back over each breast to cover completely.

Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add a little oil and then add the chicken breasts skin side down. Cook for a couple of minutes until golden brown, then gently turn over with a tongs and transfer to the oven for another 10-12 minutes or until just cooked through and tender. Cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, finish making the risotto. Put the liquid from the mushrooms in a pan with the stock and bring to a simmer. Heat a little oil and a knob of butter in a shallow saucepan or deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic, the sauté for about 5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Stir in the chopped dried mushrooms and cook for a minute or two, then stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the vermouth and allow to bubble down, stirring. Pour in a ladleful of the stock and continue to cook, stirring until all of the liquid has evaporated. Continue adding stock in this way until all the rice is ‘al dente’ – just cooked but still with a little bite.

Meanwhile, heat a little oil and a knob of the butter in a separate frying pan and sauté the fresh mushrooms until tender. Season with salt and pepper and toss with the shredded tarragon.

Take the cooked risotto off the heat and stir in the rest of the butter with the Parmesan. Cover and leave to settle for a couple of minutes, then divide among warmed plates and arrange the tarragon chicken breasts alongside. Garnish with the micro nasturtium leaves, if liked.

Ingredients:

50g dried porcini mushrooms

100ml boiling water

900ml chicken stock

olive oil, for cooking

75g butter, chilled and diced

1 onion, finely chopped

1 celery stick, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

300g risotto rice

175ml vermouth

250g mixed wild mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

2 tsp shredded fresh tarragon

50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Orange drizzle cake with rosemary cream & chocolate mousse

Method:

For the chocolate mousse, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water).

Whisk the egg whites and lemon juice in a large, clean bowl until they form soft peaks. The lemon juice will stabilize the egg whites, make them easier to work with and help to prevent over-whisking.

Add the sugar and continue to whisk until firm peaks form when the whisk is removed. Do not whisk beyond this stage - the egg whites will start to collapse and separate into dry froth and runny liquid, and you'll lose all the air that you've whisked in.

When the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat. Whisk one-third of the egg whites into the hot chocolate quickly and vigorously, until thick and well combined - if you add the egg whites in too slowly, their cold temperature can make the hot chocolate seize, solidify and result in a lumpy mousse.

Fold the remaining egg whites into the chocolate mixture, using a spatula, until all of the egg white has been completely incorporated into the chocolate. Don't over mix at this stage as you'll knock out the air bubbles and the mousse will be dense. Spoon the mousse mixture into a large container. Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours until set.

To make the candied orange slices, cut the oranges into thin rounds no more than 3mm thick, discarding the seeds and end pieces. Fill a large bowl with iced water and set aside. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the orange slices, then simmer for 1 minute. Remove with a tongs and quickly place in the iced water to allow them to cool down quickly.

Heat the sugar with the water and orange juice in a large sauté pan and simmer gently until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Reduce to the heat to medium-low and add the orange slices in a single layer. Simmer gently for 45-60 minutes or until the rinds are slightly translucent, turning with a tongs every 15 minutes or so to ensure they cook evenly.

Using a tongs, transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely for at least 1 hour or overnight is perfect to allow them to dry out completely.

Preheat the oven to 180C to make the cake. Grease and line a 20cm square tin. Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and beat with a electric hand mixer until smooth. Using a spatula, transfer to the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes or until well risen and golden and shrinking away from the sides of the tin. After 5 minutes transfer the cake to a wire rack and leave to cool. Once cool, remove the paper and trim down into 6 even-sized portions.

To make the glaze, put the sugar and orange juice in a pan, stirring over a low heat until dissolved, then boil to reduce by half. Turn the cake portions upside down, then brush the bottom and sides with the glaze, then turn back over and brush the tops with the rest of the glaze.

To make the rosemary cream, pour the cream into a pan and tear up the rosemary. Heat gently over a low heat. Once the cream is warm, remove from heat. Then leave in the fridge to allow to infuse slowly. Pass the cream through a sieve to remove the rosemary. Then whip the cream until soft peaks have formed. Cover with clingfilm and chill until needed.

To serve, put the orange drizzle cake on plates and add a candied orange slice to each one. Decorate with a quenelle of rosemary cream and another one of the chocolate mousse.

For the rosemary cream:
250ml double cream
few sprigs of fresh rosemary

Poached pear with salted caramel, rum & raisin parfait

Method:

For the chocolate mousse, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water).

Whisk the egg whites and lemon juice in a large, clean bowl until they form soft peaks. The lemon juice will stabilize the egg whites, make them easier to work with and help to prevent over-whisking.

Add the sugar and continue to whisk until firm peaks form when the whisk is removed. Do not whisk beyond this stage - the egg whites will start to collapse and separate into dry froth and runny liquid, and you'll lose all the air that you've whisked in.

When the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat. Whisk one-third of the egg whites into the hot chocolate quickly and vigorously, until thick and well combined - if you add the egg whites in too slowly, their cold temperature can make the hot chocolate seize, solidify and result in a lumpy mousse.

Fold the remaining egg whites into the chocolate mixture, using a spatula, until all of the egg white has been completely incorporated into the chocolate. Don't over mix at this stage as you'll knock out the air bubbles and the mousse will be dense. Spoon the mousse mixture into a large container. Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours until set.

To make the candied orange slices, cut the oranges into thin rounds no more than 3mm thick, discarding the seeds and end pieces. Fill a large bowl with iced water and set aside. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the orange slices, then simmer for 1 minute. Remove with a tongs and quickly place in the iced water to allow them to cool down quickly.

Heat the sugar with the water and orange juice in a large sauté pan and simmer gently until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Reduce to the heat to medium-low and add the orange slices in a single layer. Simmer gently for 45-60 minutes or until the rinds are slightly translucent, turning with a tongs every 15 minutes or so to ensure they cook evenly.

Using a tongs, transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely for at least 1 hour or overnight is perfect to allow them to dry out completely.

Preheat the oven to 180C to make the cake. Grease and line a 20cm square tin. Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and beat with a electric hand mixer until smooth. Using a spatula, transfer to the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes or until well risen and golden and shrinking away from the sides of the tin. After 5 minutes transfer the cake to a wire rack and leave to cool. Once cool, remove the paper and trim down into 6 even-sized portions.

To make the glaze, put the sugar and orange juice in a pan, stirring over a low heat until dissolved, then boil to reduce by half. Turn the cake portions upside down, then brush the bottom and sides with the glaze, then turn back over and brush the tops with the rest of the glaze.

To make the rosemary cream, pour the cream into a pan and tear up the rosemary. Heat gently over a low heat. Once the cream is warm, remove from heat. Then leave in the fridge to allow to infuse slowly. Pass the cream through a sieve to remove the rosemary. Then whip the cream until soft peaks have formed. Cover with clingfilm and chill until needed.

To serve, put the orange drizzle cake on plates and add a candied orange slice to each one. Decorate with a quenelle of rosemary cream and another one of the chocolate mousse.